CATS riders catch a free ride on June 18

BATON ROUGE - Bus riders in Baton Rouge will be able to catch a free ride on June 18th.

Capital Area Transit System (CATS) announced Monday that it will join other public transportation systems nationwide to participate in the National Dump the Pump Day on Thursday, June 18.

On Dump the Pump Day all riders can ride CATS buses for free on June 18th. Participants in Dump the Pump Day may even ride one of CATS' five new buses.

Sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), National Dump the Pump Day is a day that encourages people to ride public transportation instead of driving a car. The day emphasizes that public transportation is a convenient travel option that also helps people save money.

CATS' five new buses arrived early and are already in use on existing routes. The uses are part of the agency's fleet management plan, enacted in 2015 to plan for future bus fleet needs. Four more buses have been ordered and should arrive by mid-2016.

The nine new buses were purchased at more than $440,000 each. Each bus was paid for through CATS capital funds.

According to CATS' the agency needs 45 new buses because current fleet continues to devolve.